www.CostaRicaTicas.com

Happiness of an entire country is something that is impossible to measure and rank.

If people think they are going to become happy by moving to "happy land" they are sadly mistaken. Happiness, contentment, or whatever you want to call it comes from within. If you are not a happy person in the USA chances are you aren't going to become "happy" just by moving somewhere else. Unhappy people constantly look for external ways to make themselves happy whether it be drugs, alcohol, women, possessions, geographic change, etc. and it never works for long.

I used to be one of those people that was always looking for happiness from external sources so I know a bit about what I'm talking about. I'm kind of lucky in that I figured out that if I really wanted to be happy I needed to change myself. It was a long process but I am happier than I've ever been in my life today and it has absolutely nothing to do with where I live, how many chicks I nail, what kind of car I drive, etc. (Those things are just added bonuses.) I'm happy in CR, I'm happy in the USA, each has their plusses and minuses but neither is Utopia. I'm a happy person today because I am at peace with myself. When you find inner peace the things around you become far less important than they once were.

I guarentee if you are a miserable SOB in Chicago, you will be a miserable SOB in San Jose and all the pu*sy in the world won't change that. I've listened to too many drunks in the SL bar tell me how miserable their lives are to think otherwise.

Sorry for getting all philosophical but I felt like saying that.

Don't worry, be happy!

You nailed it here, very good.

*****

That ranking is about as important and worthy as when People Magazine list the 10 or 25 or whatever sexiest men or women. As the world turns... Phuck that bullshit (blunt, but that's how I feel).

*****

Oh, and great post Circus (never read anything so serious from you... are you feeling okay?).

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That may all well be true, but most people are usually pretty curious to see who's on the list whenever it comes out whether or not they agree with the selections or how it was done. I acknowledged from the outset that the credibility of the list was somewhat suspect. I only threw it out to you guys as something you might find mildly interesting.

As for how unhappy people moving to happy-land wouldn't automatically make them happy, I also couldn't agree more. In a similar vein, taking happy people out of happy land and moving them to allegedly "unhappy-US" won't automatically make them sad. Happiness does come from within. If you've been raised with high expectations and material wants and those desires aren't fulfilled or if they are don't fulfill you, just moving to someplace where the locals don't share those traits isn't going to change you or make you happy. Computerguy really did nail it. It takes much more than a physical move in location. It takes a change in mindset. And if you accomplish that it doesn't matter so much where you are or how much "stuff" you have. I think it easier to forget that in a consumer society like we have in the US.

True, Prolijo, people are curious so no big deal about posting it. I only wanted to back up those that didn't agree with the results... on par with the other lists.

I do know who is at the top of the world's happiest hooker's list.... Pamela.

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Nice to see all the deep interesting thoughts laid out here. Of all the good posts Computerguy feelings are most like my own. I will say this about my experience of travel. It has enhanced my happiness in the USA. When I saw so many people in CR laughing & enjoying such simple things it made me look back at my life & made me realize I had grown to serious letting to much brainwashing from the USA take place. So external forces can help to wake you & allowed me to see things that were obscure up to that point. Every country has its own form of brainwashing to some degree but being in & out of different cultures allowed me to see my own in a different light. I love most places I have visited they all had some interesting parts.

After so much time in mainly Latin countries it really made a joke out of keeping up with the Joneses like so many of my friends. That is a trip to NO WHERE! Once you realize you don't need much to be happy it creates a much deeper sense of peace & security. The good thing for me at least I found this but try & translate this to a Gringa that has never been out of the USA & loves the keep up with the Joneses life style .
How true this is ! I have seen many cases of the Latinas moving to the USA to make money & they handle this very well. From what I have seen they do not seem to like our coldness of family compared to them but they seem to concentrate on the good things the States offers which is our economic situation. They seem too me to realize how hard life can be & are pretty fatalistic with enjoying life while we have it. The Latinos that moved to the USA that were adults did not seem to change much too me with their family structure & happy go lucky ways but their off sping that were born here are a different story. I see far more Gringos concentrating on what they don't have or negatives instead of positives .

Tman
This has also been my experience. Many times I think people with money have so much on their plate they overload themselves & miss smelling some of the flowers along the way. Many I know can not seem to relax very well & many never seem to enjoy their success. Of course this is the way it looks to me from the outside looking in. I am sure they see it as they are doing what they love but I just seem to be dumb founded on being able to see the happiness in their life. As always to each their own & YMMV.

Personally I believe some form of balance between the different cultures is best. I enjoy the options we have in the USA at least we have them but it is up to us to make the most of it & keep ourselves happy. Each cause has its own effect .

Mongering is a fun sport but really I can take it or leave it at this point. So many interesting things have come from it which makes me happy. I appreciate where I am at & what I have much more from what I have seen & experienced. One thing I have enjoyed is reading this website seems to have a much more in depth group than others I have read.

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"Run silent, run deep"
Spunk glazed Chicas are the building blocks of the universe!

Zippy, I don't think my thoughts on this subject are normally all that different from yours and computerguy's. In this thread, I've just reflected a more ascetic tone because that's where my head has been the last couple of months.

I said that changing location doesn't always change outlook or bring happiness. But for many people it certainly can. The key is really how deeply one has been brainwashed, or "acculturated to US consumerism" to phrase it more neutrally, and how open they are to change. Most guys on this board have far more intercultural experience than most americans. I had the good fortune to spend a couple of summers overseas while I was still in high school and then all those many business trips to Haiti and Colombia when I was in my 20's. Coming back from that put a lot of things that I had taken for granted in the US into a different perspective, like it has for you. I'm not so sure I'd have been able to change my world view so radically if it had come much later in life. Your comments about latinos that have moved to the US at different stages of life bear this out. Most americans have had very little if any foreign travel experience including many of the soon-to-be retirees that have heard what a wonderful retirement destination CR would be.

BTW, the keeping up with the Joneses is alive and well even in Costa Rica and can be found in Gringo enclaves like Escazu. This is not to say that all Escazu ex-pats are victim to it, but I think even guys like VB will admit to seeing that amongst many of his neighbors. Some people move to CR mainly for the cost of living and the nice climate so I won't fault them for that but it would not be for me. Some, like VB, move to Escazu because its nice and safe. I can particularly understand the latter given where CR seems to be heading. However, they've also recreated a mini-US in the process, which I can't understand. That isn't changing one's mindset its bringing the problems with you. Picture a small army of suburban gringa ReMax agents touting the latest and greatest RE deals and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about. I don't know how many were really seeking change or moved because of an underlying sense of disastisfaction back in the US, but I know that many don't really find any greater happiness in CR. Why should they when they really haven't changed much? At most they find the shortcomings of where their mini-US fails to measure up to what they were used to back home. Many wind up returning to the US thinking that CR somehow failed them when in reality they really failed CR.

If I were to move to CR, my approach would be different. For one thing, I'd embrace the culture rather than try to insulate myself from it. I'd get a nice house but probably not quite as nice as the one I'm living in now and certainly not one of the "palaces on the hills" that set so many gringos apart from their tico neighbors. I'm not even sure I would get a car.

But I'd like to finish with a little description of where my life is currently at that will put some of my earlier commets in perspective. For the last few year or so, I've been trying to restructure my life to enable me to travel more freely. The first part of this process was to alter my career path. I've shifted to working as a consultant. This actually pays more than my old salaried positions but it's also less stable. My plan is to work for a few months on each engagement and then when that project comes to an end either find another one or just take off for a few months and find work when I get back. I figure I can make as much in 8 months as I used to make in a year but instead of working full-time with 1-2 weeks vacation once or twice a year like I've had in the past, I'll try to settle for less money and just travel. This works for me because, being single, I don't have other familial commitments tying me down. But I still have expenses that don't go away while I'm away on the road. Which brings me to the 2nd part of my long term plan.

This past winter I made more dough than ever but I also got hit with a whole bunch of expenses (like a new roof for my house). In March, I had to scramble around for new homeowners insurance because my old company was pulling out of the state because of last year's hurricanes. And its been one thing after another like that ever since. My house has tripled in value from what I orginally paid for it (and I'm not complaining about that) but I think its topped out for a while. The only reason I need a 3/2 is because I've accumulated got all this STUFF that I never use but don't want to throw away and need somewhere to keep it. My next steps are to dump my shit, sell my house and move into a smaller one or even just rent a townhouse where I don't have to mow my yard (or pay someone else to do it) or fix my roof. Then when my next contract winds up and I don't have another immediately lined up I can either absorb the cost of leaving my small house empty for a few months of travel or, if I rent, move out altogether (putting my remaining stuff into storage), sell my car and take off for a whole GAP-YEAR. Over a year of traveling, I'll then either find someplace new where I can settle or I'll end up back in the US where I can then just pick up where I left off until I've saved up enough to try it all again.

I realize this path is not for everyone, but maybe it helps explain where I've been coming from in these last few posts. I'd appreciate hearing other's honest thoughts on my plans.

IMHO, I think Tman's post explains it all.

Here in the US, as wonderful as it may be, the greater majority is too involved in the ole' "keeping up with the Joneses".

Respectfully

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Respectfully,

Muff

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Prolijo...sounds like youre a man with a plan...and I applaude your well thought out approach to simplifying your life...and of course having more time to enjoy your single life in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and wherever else you may choose to experience.

You're right that most people are not free to do such things or make late changes in their lives because of all their previous committments, their debt loads, their perceived "family obligations", and "career path". Not that any of these previous conditions are neccessarily bad, but if they make one unhappy, then changes are in the hands of the life being lived. Then again, as my previous post alludes, some have chosen NOT to be happy with their previous decisions...others have just decided to "fall into step". Most people in the world dont have the freedom to choose one way or the other. It is only by having the political and economic freedoms we North Americans have that we have the "dilemma" of choice. So...to that end I toast all who have served in USA armed forces to preserve these freedoms. Whatever our political persuasions, we have to acknowledge that ours is still the best system and most successful economic model the world has seen where, as Circus stated, we are free to work hard and acheive our individual goals.

ON the other hand, many of us have found the gluttony, false pride, and "supremecy syndrome" of our USA culture lacking. Lacking in self control, lacking in interest of others different than ourselves, unwilling for self examination, openess for intimacy, or true humanitarian involvement. Our culture measures success by bank rolls, clothes, houses, cars and "what do you do for a living". We are losing our soul and self control in consumption...whether we are talking diet or energy consumption. In the midst of this many of us wake up one day realizing we are NOT happy or content...we have no interest in the person sleeping next to us...our families and friends are too nosey and judgemental to allow us freedom of expression...and we are quietly screaming "let me out!"

Now, the few of us that take the sometimes painful route of "getting out" can also find the grass is not always greener on the other side. Latin American culture is also very "class oriented". The rich here are caught up also in materialism, image, and "screw before being screwed". They also are starting to see the breakdown in traditions of family, marriage and even religion which is causing increased divorce, crime, gangs, and politicial unrest between the classes. You need only look at Venezuela and Bolivia right now politically and economically to see what can happen when ideals and classes clash.

Some guys go to mongering destinations like CR, Panama, Colombia, Thailand, et al to find romance, meaning and intimacy...maybe just a simpler life. Whether they find the real thing or not is up to them to decide. If happiness is a choice, then it can be "perceived" as much as it can be "real". But, I have seen guys lives changed by coming to these destinations and "getting away"...a new lease on life, smiles, laughing, letting loose, and sharing their lives in forums like this one like they never have with their lifelong friends or family. In this environment they are allowing themselves to know and be known. How refreshing!

On the other hand, some guys go to these destinations and are still angry, bitter, slobs, rude, and...UNHAPPY. So it is still back to my favorite saying..."wherever you go, there you are". But, if you want change and control, sometimes you DO have to relocate...and sometimes it DOES revolutionlize your life. Its back to the power of the individual to control their lives and destinies...which circles back to economic freedom...which circles back to supporting political agendas in the world that support those individual freedoms.

Ah...life is grand being able to have time and freedom to contemplate such things. We really need to count our blessings...

Pro, here is my unsolicited advice

buy an inexpensive condo.

a 2/2, something you can lock up and walk away from.

some of the older masonry built units with concrete roofs can still be bought cheaply (by today's standards)

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The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

(export version only, some restrictions may apply, some assembly required, not valid where the sun don't shine...

if you live in the states of Poverty, Darkness or anywhere outside of The Blessings of Civilization Trust, Inc...other rules may apply)

Returning home on 7/13, after a month in Costa Rica, my plane was unable to make its scheduled stop in Charlotte on time, due to bad weather. When we did eventually land in Charlotte, everyone on the plane had lost their connecting flight and had the option of going to a hotel or "camping out" in the airport. Since the night was already half over, and I had been rebooked for an early morning flight, I opted to stay at the airport for the duration. I met up with a family of Costa Ricans who had also been on my flight. They were on their way to visit relatives in the DC area. Only one family member could speak very limited English, and I know it must have been difficult for them to get through this ordeal [I was extremely stressed]. I was amazed by their "easy going" attitude, taking it all in stride, with a smile . They found a "reasonably nice spot" to camp out for the night and they invited me to stay there with them.

While at the airport, I knew I was back in "GRINGALAND" once again when several wide-butt gringas who were on the plane started lashing out at airline employees, who were trying to help us.

Zebra

Prolijio I really like your plan & what Tman posted. I admire you for the ability to do this. It is not easy. I have to agree also one should get into their culture & like it if you plan to stay other wise why move for a handful of things you like. Learning the language is a must but older Gringos I see try to dodge this & limit their true potential of fun. Many men I have talked to just laugh rely on me & say they are too old ! It is very important to remember that you are never too old & this will help keep you young. It is a great thing for increasing blood flow to the big head for a change !

Zebra your experience unfortune as it was I have seen all to often. Gives you a lot to think about . Well let see BIG ass-bitchey verses small ass-understanding & nice & polite, hum maybe one doesn't have to think very long after all?

_________________
"Run silent, run deep"
Spunk glazed Chicas are the building blocks of the universe!

My first day in Jaco I walked the entire beach from north to south, about a mile and a half maybe. At the south end I decided to take the main road back instead of the beach. It started raining like hell. I was pissed until I walked by a tico house where some K*ds had a soccer game going. they didnt let the rain stop them from their game. I observed them briefly and thought how happy they seemed out their kicking the ball around during the rain, its only water , it didnt have any soap in it so it couldnt hurt me. I strolled back to my motel in the rain and got drenched, but I kinda enjoyed it. I felt an inner piece that I dont feel very often.I think i learned a life lesson that rainy day.

Yes Raw,

I also to do not mind the rain or getting soaked.
I simply say " It's only water " and being a plumber I have been wet with a whole lot worse !!!!

In a nutshell; A quote by Mark Twain.

" A man is pretty much as happy as he makes up his mind to be"

Just Nucknfuts

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Throughout the history of mankind there has never been one shred of evidence that supports that life is serious..........
Don't believe everything you think ............

I'm getting a little confused here.Could someone please tell me if I am happy or unhappy? I live like a millionaire on far less than it would cost in the States... I find the climate wonderful,(even in the rainy season), I have sex with beautiful young chicas as often as my body can stand it, I live an almost stressfree existance that I an sure will extend my life, thanks to CRT I have so many friends and an actice social life such that I can't even remember some of the names of wonderful guys that I have shared beers and conversation with. I thought I was very happy,and the article confirmed it,but now I'm not sure. lol

LMAO